Liberty SBF CEO, Alex Cohen and Managing Director, Leah Weiss, recently visited the Saint John’s Hospice homeless shelter to donate socks collected during an in-office clothing drive the company held this winter. Liberty SBF donated over four dozen socks to the shelter that serves homeless men in the Philadelphia area.

The sock drive was inspired by a separate holiday fundraising campaign Liberty SBF ran for Knock Knock Give A Sock, a charity that focuses on collecting socks to donate to shelters, one of the most needed clothing items for homeless individuals. The campaign ended up raising almost $700 for the charity.

“After our fundraiser, we still wanted to do more. We wanted to give back locally, to the community in which we live and work in a very substantial way,” said Alex Cohen, CEO of Liberty SBF.

To continue its charitable giving, Liberty SBF decided to hold a clothing drive over the winter and encouraged its employees to donate socks. Adina Lichtman, founder of Knock Knock Give A Sock, suggested the company donate the socks it collected to Saint John’s Hospice located in Center City.

Saint John’s Hospice is a homeless shelter for men that provides more than just a place to stay. In addition to a total of 52 beds for short-term housing needs, the organization offers clothing, toiletries, showers, social services and serves food daily to men who come from all over Philadelphia in need of a meal. They provide about 150 showers per week in addition to daily lunches, relying on volunteers and staff who serve over 300 meals every day.

Saint John’s Hospice survives on donations from the community. Local parishes and restaurants donate food and individuals come to drop off needed supplies and clothing.

“Men in need rely on Saint John’s Hospice for crucial, life-sustaining services and we rely on the community to help us provide that ongoing support whether it is through donations or volunteering,” said Kris Jaeger, Director of Development and Community Relations at Saint John’s Hospice.

According to Ms. Jaeger, approximately 80% of the funding for Saint John’s Hospice comes from private donations with the rest of the funds to run the shelter coming through grants from foundations and government funding. The organization serves thousands of homeless men of Philadelphia each year.

“Our mission is to provide that support with dignity, respect and compassion,” said Ms. Jaeger. “We are grateful to local companies like Liberty SBF who support our good work and believe in our mission.”

You can donate to Saint John’s hospice or sign up to volunteer by emailing Rebecca Switzer, Saint John’s Hospice Community Relations Coordinator at rswitzer@chs-adphila.org or calling (215) 563-7763. You can also visit them on the web at www.saintjohnshospice.org.

About Saint John’s Hospice: Saint John’s Hospice seeks to be a community grounded in faith and service where homeless persons find dignity, respect, nourishment and opportunities for new beginnings. For more information visit: www.saintjohnshospice.org

About Knock Knock Give A Sock: Knock Knock, Give a Sock is an organization that collects the most needed, but least donated article of clothing for those experiencing homelessness: socks. For more information visit: wknockknockgiveasock.org

About Liberty SBF: Liberty SBF is a national commercial real estate lender specializing in SBA 504 loans for small business owners to purchase their own commercial properties and bridge loans for commercial real estate investors.